One dead hive--how to proceed?

[stavros]

I checked today and confirmed that one of our hives is dead, and surrounded by robbers from the adjacent strong hive. The dead hive has a super and a deep, both containing some honey, so they are wet. Next to it, the strong hive has two deeps and two supers: I added its second deep today since they had a deep and 1 1/2 supers full of bees. The question is this: what do I do with a wet deep and super of the dead hive? Later on in the spring I want to make a split, but for now can I freeze and then store in a plastic container the wet frames of the deep and super? Or will they mold?
Thanks a lot,
Stavros

[Robert Brenchley]

You could, but unless your climate is a lot warmer than mine, it'll be too cold for wax moth to be a problem yet. Do you have greater waxmoth in your area? I had it one year, but I'm outside its normal range in the UK. Lesser wax moth isn't a real problem, and I'd just leave the comb until I was ready to use it. It all depends on your climate.

[stavros]

Thanks for your response. I have not seen any wax moth on the combs, and I do not think it is a problem in Atlanta this time of the year. However, we have SHB, and I could see a few that survived the winter in the comb--no infestation but their presence without bees could become a problem. What if I freeze the combs and then put them wet in the empty, to use it as a bait for a swarm? This could attract ants, not now but surely later on? What do you think?
Thanks a lot,
Stavros